ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The Optical Society of America (OSA) presented its 1996 Engineering Excellence Awards to Teddi C. Laurin of Laurin Publishing Co. Inc. and Gary Blough of Rochester Photonics Corp. at the Society's Annual Meeting last month.Laurin, executive publisher of Photonics Spectra, Biophotonics International and The Photonics Directory, was honored for fostering a broader recognition of optical engineers' achievements and creating a greater awareness of photonics technology's potential applications.In the early 1960s, Laurin became active in the industry by publishing The Photonics Directory, which played a key role in defining the industry. Since then, she has cofounded an additional 14 publications to serve the needs of the photonics industry, including Biophotonics International and EuroPhotonics. Praise for OSALaurin said that the award was "particularly gratifying to me because of its source. We at Laurin Publishing have always regarded OSA as an organization with the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, totally dedicated to the goals it was created to advance 80 years ago."Laurin has been active on the boards and committees of OSA, the Laser Institute of America, the Laser and Electro-Optics Manufacturers' Association and the International Society for Optical Engineering, which honored her in 1991 with its President's Award.Blough was honored for his outstanding technical achievements in the design and fabrication of high-performance diffractive master elements operating in the visible spectral range for commercial products, industrial applications and government systems.